Bribing Politicians' Chickens Come Home to Roost

ACT New Zealand leader Dr Don Brash says an article on today's Stuff.co.nz headed "Pre-teens dream of kids and dole" is an indictment of the entitlement mentality and generations of politicians who have created and pandered to it.

The article, by Imogen Neale, begins, "Lots of babies, lots of partners, lots of houses and lots of benefits. Welcome to the career dream of young boys already failing in the education system."

It goes on to describe how Alison Sutherland, who works in Wairarapa schools with children who have behavioural problems, says many of the boys she deals with – who haven't even reached their teenage years – can only see being the father of children and living with their mothers ahead.

Ms Sutherland says youngsters opt out of education and employment "because they see babies as a source of income." She adds they have a "complete lack of understanding of what being a good parent might entail."

In many cases they're just emulating what they see at home: "They live with mum, who often has a number of children and boyfriends. Their reality is that the men in their lives live off mum, so they say, `Why would I get a job? I don't need one, I'll be like whoever the chap is who is living with mum at the moment'."

"ACT has long argued that the present welfare system makes precisely these sorts of outcomes inevitable," says Dr Brash.

"We would end this immoral arrangement whereby youngsters unfit to be parents are effectively bribed by vote-seeking politicians to have babies for their cash value: babies whom in many cases they go on to abuse and kill.

"It saddens me as a politician to say it, but In this sense, politicians have been the worst child-abusers of all for decades now.

"At the upcoming election my party will be proposing education and welfare policies that would end this iniquitous, inhuman racket as soon as possible," Dr Brash concludes.